title: Aggregation of model gels with directional interactions.
abstract: We analyze connectivity and space-filling properties of colloidal gels obtained in a model with directional interactions. We compare gels formed upon slow cooling with the ones produced via quenching. The aggregation process is qualitatively different upon quenching: the cluster size distribution shows a percolation type of behavior but not the fully connected network achieved upon slow cooling. Because quenching favors the formation of defects, differently from systems where quenching tends to produce lower local connectivity and more open structures, here it favors instead more connected, but less space-filling, structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials, Polymer Physics, ETH Zürich, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Del Gado
mesh_terms: D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D044367:Phase Transition; D010825:Physics / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D005782:Gels